This invention relates to the field of multi-user interactive systems. Specifically, this invention relates to a method and apparatus for associating capabilities between a virtual input device and a display object.
FIG. 1 illustrates a multi-user interactive computer system 100, including multiple xe2x80x9cdisplay objectsxe2x80x9d or items that can be manipulated by numerous users simultaneously. The display objects in multi-user interactive environment 100 include virtual input devices 125 and 127, menu 135, button 130 and objects OBJ 1-OBJ 5 (any other type of visual display objects).
In this multi-user environment, it may be desirable to limit users"" access rights to interact with the display objects. Examples of limiting access rights exist in a number of computer systems today. The MACINTOSH(trademark) operating system, from Apple Computer, Incorporated of Cupertino, Calif., for example, allows the owner of a folder or file to assign specific rights to other users on a network, thus specifying user access to those files or folders. The owner marks the folder with an indicator such as xe2x80x9cRead,xe2x80x9d indicating to the computer system that users who access the system have READ privileges to that folder. Each user that accesses the system will thus be able to read all files in this folder. Each user""s access is independent of other users because each user will xe2x80x9cseexe2x80x9d a view of the system that is independent of other users.
In a multi-user environment, however, multiple users may be interacting with a single object. Each user is represented on the computer display screen by a separate virtual input device, and the users can xe2x80x9cseexe2x80x9d each other, as well as other display objects on the computer display screen. As the number of users and objects increase, the type of access right manipulation described above becomes too cumbersome for a system xe2x80x9cfacilitatorxe2x80x9d to function effectively. Additionally, it becomes increasingly difficult for the system facilitator to determine total access rights for each user in the multi-user environment. The system facilitator will have to examine each object in the environment to determine whether a particular user has access to the object. In this multi-user environment, therefore, it is desirable for access rights to be easily manipulable, to allow a system facilitator to easily create, assign and revoke access rights, and to easily view all access rights associated with each user in the environment.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for associating capabilities between a virtual input device and a display object. According to one embodiment of the present invention, capabilities are associated with a virtual input device by selecting a new capability, the new capability represented on a display device as a new capability display object, and associating the new capability with the virtual input device.
According to another aspect of the invention, the virtual input device represents a user. Additionally, a display object can generate a private capability object for association with a virtual input device.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description.